


Sleeping Arrangements

by ficme



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, F/M, Fluff, Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, I tried my best to get the tenses to mach, Multi, multiple POVs, orpheus dies at the end but naturally and in a healing way, this was supposed to be a brief headcanon for the discord server what happened?!?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-12-01 23:03:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20927837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ficme/pseuds/ficme
Summary: How do Eurydice, Orpheus, Hades, and Persephone sleep before and after The Turn? This contains some measure of heartbreak, but this is ultimately a feel-good fluff piece.This work is a collection of short drabbles that I initially posted to the Hadestown Discord server, and based on the reaction I recieved, I decided that there was something there if I cleaned up my writing just a bit (she said before adding two more pages of content). The original prompt I wrote this under was “I finally answered the Little vs. Big spoon Orphydice conundrum in a way that satisfies my beliefs.” Any mentions of Hades/Persephone with Eurydice/Orpheus are strictly platonic, but not without a familial love.





	Sleeping Arrangements

Eurydice’s lone-wolf mentality developed by neigh two decades of abandonment issues had always made sleeping difficult for her in the past. She frequently found she could not get comfortable enough to submit to the vulnerability that comes with being unconscious unless a strict internal checklist was met: 1) She needed to be tucked away in a small corner, preferably behind a locked door, where no one knew she was there, 2) All of her earthly possessions must be neatly stowed within arm’s reach just in case she needed to bug out in the middle of the night (which had happened on more than one occasion during her life alone), and 3) No sleeping outdoors, as the wind had a way of cutting deep to her core, and haunting her dreams in such a vivid way that she decided she was better off missing out on sleep entirely if she couldn’t find shelter. Eurydice is a light sleeper and on the very rare occasion where she does decide to share a bed with an attractive stranger, she is always gone without a trace by the time the sun rises, with a couple of newly lifted valuables in tow.

The day she meets Orpheus and uncharacteristically decides to let him take her home for longer than a couple of hours, she still needs to have her bag within arm’s length for the first week or so, and though she sleeps next to him, she is curled in on herself out of habit, not knowing how to share a bed space with a genuine lover. This begins to change when each morning, she awakens to find him still next to her, fast asleep with a dorky smile on his face. Her heart would always give a little jump in disbelief at the reality that both she and he stayed through the night, and her rough edges began to wear down day after day of the same routine. When she finally accepts that they are both there to stay, that is when she allows herself hold him in her sleep.

Her grip is always too strong, as if her sleeping brain still expects him to disappear each night, despite the many nights prior that disproved her fears by staying. Orpheus understands that she needs it to be like this however, and doesn’t take offense to her constricting him each night. Trust takes time, and Hermes has reminded him time and time again that not everyone has his gift of seeing the very best in people right from the start. When he finally asks Eurydice about her sleeping tendencies one morning in the least accusatory manner possible, she is overcome with the urge to actually communicate with him (“who am I?!?” she scoffs) and explains that while she knows he is there, her long-standing abandonment issues won’t allow her to sleep until she is secure in his presence inside her arms. Letting him in and still gaining his unconditional acceptance is what finally breaks her hardened resolve. The night after their heart-to-heart starts off as usual, with Eurydice clinging tightly to a much larger Orpheus, but the familiar routine diverges from there. As she drifts off to sleep, her guard drops and her arms fall slack. Orpheus wakes in a start, worried that something has happened to her, but his fear turns to a silent outpouring of love when she turns towards him, still fast asleep, and lets out a prolonged and freeing sigh. Orpheus waits patiently for her breathing to even out once more before finally making his move, and at long last he is able to wrap his arms around her in return, and even asleep she smiles as she curls into his loving embrace. Who is he that he should be so lucky that gets to hold her? Orpheus never had trouble sleeping since he reached adulthood, the disappearance of his mother at an early age a distant memory at this point. The only scar left behind by his childhood was the vague feeling that something was missing as he drifted off to sleep each night. As he is finally able to repay Eurydice’s nightly embrace in earnest, he now understands what that missing feeling was, only able to truly recognize it in its absence. He doesn’t want to sleep alone ever again. Eurydice now wakes up every morning secure in Orpheus’ arms, feeling safe and warm for the first time in her living memory. The ice that formed around her heart melted away after her first morning waking up like this, and she finds that not running away is a real option for the first time.

~~~

It took Orpheus’ coming to the underworld and failing to retrieve Eurydice for Hades and Persephone to finally being sleeping together again. They are both so relieved to have that empty space next to them complete once more. They both had longed for each other’s nightly presence for so long now, but couldn’t set aside their pride long enough to fill it on their own. Instead of discussing their problems in plain, Persephone had taken to drinking herself into a stupor in order to sleep, and Hades had chosen to forgo sleep altogether and instead focus on his wall. Sleeping side-by-side was much more of a mutually beneficial outcome. Who would’ve figured it would take two mortals to show them this obvious solution, to make them see how childish and petty they had been being? They sleep in each morning to make up for the lost time spent fighting.  
  
For the first three months of each Fall/Winter period Persephone is the big spoon, as Hades is just happy to be held by her again. The last three months is where the dynamic begins to shift, and Hades assumes the role of big spoon with a dawning awareness that she will be leaving all too soon, and he just needs to know she is still there by his side, that they still have some time together. On their first/last night together they sleep facing each other absolutely tangled up in each other’s limbs as equals, the only difference is that night one is out of mutually intoxicating enthusiasm, where the last night is out of a profound sense of impending loss and sadness.

~~~

After _The Turn_, neither Orpheus nor Eurydice know how to sleep alone.  
  
Eurydice is lucky in that she has both Hades and Persephone wanting to watch over her for half of the year. At first sleeping is difficult and she spends her nights staring at the ceiling, overcome with a sense of profound grief and loneliness. She is not allowed to fester like she initially planned though, as she is visited on a nightly bases by the king, queen, or both, and she understands that it is not her place to turn them away. They give her her own private space within the confines of their castle, a job (“special shade advisor to the King”), and they allow her to keep her memories. Overtime, she comes to understand why Hades made his decision to have her walk behind, and the resentment she initially felt towards him fades away as he makes a true effort to include her in the betterment of Hadestown, vowing never to let another mortal succumb to the fate he had imposed on her at his darkest and most desperate hour. She becomes close enough to the power couple to recognize that while Persephone is a queen of words, Hades is a king of actions, and his apology to her, though never outright spoken, can be felt sincerely in everything he does for her. What starts out as quick formal visits to Eurydice rapidly becomes casual and friendly, as anyone would be concerned by the ever-present fatigue etched that deep into her soul. They hang out with her and distract her to the best of their abilities until she is finally exhausted enough to rest. They whisper promises to her that she will not be alone forever, and that she and Orpheus will be together again when his time on earth is up, but for now, they remind her that she has friends down here for the first time, and it slowly allows her to feel safe again. Even so, it takes many long months of building trust and a stable relationship with the monarchs of hell for her to actually begin sleeping for more than a couple of fitful hours at a time. When they take turns visiting her instead of coming together, she notices how differently they express their friendship. She likes it best when Persephone plays with her hair and hums to her ancient tunes long forgotten (but never her and Hades’ tune, she made that mistake once after a particularly good day with her husband, and Eurydice didn’t leave her room for a week). On his own during the warmer seasons, Hades hangs out with her almost every night, and lulls her to sleep with the deep vibrations that accompany his ramblings of unrelated business deals he’d like her advice on (Eurydice has a real knack for leadership), or about the positive outcomes of the meetings with the new Hadestown worker’s union (which she helped create, but couldn’t stay with because it reminded her too much of Him). Still, she finds the news of her afterlife’s biggest accomplishment comforting, and knows that if Orpheus were there, he’d be so proud of what she has been able to create.

At first, Hades was hesitant about visiting her alone, because she would hate him, right? But she seems to recognize in him the same doubt and anxieties that exist in her and existed in Orpheus beneath his positive demeanor. He learns that Eurydice finds him comforting to talk to when further down the line in their relationship, he asks her “how do you find it in your heart to put up with me?” and she laughs at him before telling him in earnest that their talks make her feel like she is actually a part of something bigger, and that discussing their shared fears and hopes helps soothe the anxious thoughts that typically echo through her mind when she should be sleeping. It’s therapeutic in a way she didn’t expect it to be (plus his deep, rumbling voice could put an active volcano to sleep when he speaks of boring sums and figures). She recollects that it is Orpheus’ influence that allows her to see the good in Hades, despite everything. If forgiving him helps her see how the world could be, she was willing to commit to it. More than once, Eurydice wakes up to find Hades asleep in the chair next to her bed, and he looks so tired she lets him sleep. This arrangement has been helping him too, she’s sure of it. She knows the loneliness he experiences during the Spring/Summertime in a way that other mortals could not come close to empathizing with, having directly been its target at one point, and seeing him peaceful like this fills her with the fondness of friendship that alluded her during her time on earth. “The big softie” she thinks, as she quietly sneaks out of bed and leaves his sleeping form behind. She’ll be right back when she finds them something to eat.  
  
Persephone got the chance to witness the sleeping duo of Hades and Eurydice herself once, when she went looking for her husband one evening, surprised to find his side of the bed empty at what was normally well-past the time he liked to retire. Upon seeing the two of them look so unburdened and uncharacteristically relaxed, she smiled and made the executive decision to let them continue sleeping. Hades looked as if he shouldn’t be comfortable slumped over in the small chair, papers scattered at his feet, which led Persephone to almost waking him, but she knows the deep guilt and helplessness her husband feels for being partially responsible for Eurydice’s current situation (she feels it too), and the mental comfort he has been able to find here strengthens her resolve to leave the duo be. Sure, her bed will feel cold and empty without her husband beside her, but she still has a few months left down here before the spring steals her away, and when was the last time her husband was made compassionate and almost mortal by caring for another human? This was the man she fell in love with. Eurydice truly has been a good influence on the two of them, and she reminds them daily that they are in a position where their actions have consequences on the mortals they should be protecting. Persephone decides she needs to do what she can to help Orpheus in a similar way, and her newfound purpose allows her to rest easy at night, even when she is alone, as she has always been able to when harboring the determination that drives her forward. After all, these mortals are why she and Hades have begun sharing a bed nightly for the first time since they began their fighting. She owes it to Orpheus to provide him the hope and comfort he gave to her.

~~~

The six months Persephone is not up topside, Orpheus is always a wreck. He is a full insomniac and spends his evenings stroking the curves of his lyre with tears in his eyes, but can’t bring himself to play even a note. He falls asleep during the day, usually tucked into the corner of the bar that he still works in, and the patrons who know his story choose not to bother him out of pity. Hermes is the only one who can approach him when he is like this, the godly lightness of his footsteps the only thing keeping him from awaking in a pained start. Hermes has gotten used to finding blankets to cover Orpheus with, and makes sure to leave food out for him to hopefully eat when he wakes up. He wishes he can do more for the boy, but is unsure of what the “more” should be.

When Persephone finally returns for the next spring, she seeks Orpheus out at night and holds him like a mother would when comforting a small, scared child. She takes in his puffy, empty eyes, his slight form missing too many meals, and the lack of new calluses that always accompany a passionate musician, and her heart breaks. She knows how the loss of a loved one feels first hand, but Orpheus had always been soft, a strength in him where others would deem it weakness, and her heart breaks for him. She made the right decision to come back into his life, she has information for him that he doesn’t know how much he needs to hear. When she first sits down beside him, his eyes show a vague recognition, and a light head nod is all the respect he can offer in her divine presence. She knows how much effort that must’ve taken him, and she greets him in earnest, a warm hug for her favorite poet. He shrinks into her but doesn’t shrug her away, so after waiting for him to break the silence (that moment never comes) Persephone ends the quiet herself and begins to talk. She tells him about how Eurydice is doing in soft but detailed words, and he perks up with a new sense of hope, felt so deeply in a way that only Orpheus can feel things. She was surprised that he didn’t ask about his lover as soon as he saw who it was that came into his room at night (Gods, they really did break the poor boy, didn’t they?), but at her mention of Eurydice’s name, he gains the courage to finally ask the questions that have been driving him mad for the better part of a year. She tells him that Eurydice remembers and misses him, and has been preparing for the day when they are finally together again. This is what causes Orpheus to fully break through his depressive state, which has a deep fog surrounding his emotions since his return, forcing him to navigate the world in a stupor and blocking him from his art. Persephone can now see the Orpheus she remembers shining through his boyish face when he gleefully inquires, “she’s waiting for me?!?” After that night, Persephone’s visits with Orpheus are a call for celebration and fondness, and end with Orpheus sleeping soundly in her lap and her heart full of lightness and relief. In the coming months, he gets his spark back in earnest, and Persephone watches with relief as he puts some weight back on and stops falling asleep at his job. He still doesn’t touch his lyre at night, but Persephone doesn’t push him, he has been doing so well in every other aspect. She has some fear that he will relapse when she returns to the underworld come fall, but her worries are assuaged when she accompanied to the train platform each year by a boy not sad about her leaving, but eager for her to return with new news about his beloved. Orpheus’ gleeful nature faltered only briefly as Persephone boarded the train, and he looked slightly pensive before his smile returned in fullness as he called out to her “tell Eurydice that I’m proud of her!” Persephone nodded in return, mouthing the words (“I will”) as the train door slid shut and she began her annual trip downstairs.

The following spring, Persephone remembers to bring Eurydice’s old scarf with her, and surprises Orpheus with it the first moment she gets him alone. “I got special permission from the king himself to bend the rules a little bit” she answers when she sees a puzzled look on his face. Orpheus takes to clutching Eurydice’s scarf at night like it is actually her, and he is finally able to sleep alone during the Fall/Winter seasons, having tangible proof that Eurydice is still out there somewhere when Persephone is not there to drown out the voices of doubt in his head. She is waiting for him with enthusiasm, the scarf tells him, even after he failed her she is still out there loving him. Seeing her again is not only not impossible, but an inevitability promised by the gods themselves. When he falls asleep with it, he can almost feel Eurydice’s ghostly presence radiating off of the fabric, which is the best he can ask for while in the world of the living. It grounds him that he can be near her soul, even though they remain so physically distant.  
  
When Orpheus does decide to start writing songs again, it is because he has grown accustomed to Eurydice’s presence again, even if it is in the form of an old scarf. Her renewed realness in his life acts as his muse, and Persephone is greeted one Fall with the sight of new callouses formed on her favorite poet’s hands. He performs his new works for Persephone each night, playing them again and again for Persephone’s ears alone, until she swears that she has the tunes memorized and can bring them back to Eurydice come fall. Eurydice listens to Orpheus’ new songs as Persephone strokes her hair, and for the first time in years she falls asleep with an actual smile on her face.

~~~

When Orpheus does finally arrive in the underworld at the end of his life, it is late at night. Persephone and Hades are there waiting to greet him personally, but Eurydice is nowhere to be found. Before he is given a chance to panic, they each take one of his hands and lead him to her private sleeping quarters, which is still located inside of their regal residence (what can they say, they love having her around!). They quietly push open the door, and are met with the sight of Eurydice, sprawled out in bed and fast asleep. Orpheus notes that she actually looks pretty peaceful, and is relieved to know that she has not been suffering this whole time without him. The king and queen make their silent leave, and Orpheus is left alone with Eurydice at last. He musters his strength not to immediately wake her in excitement, as he knows now that patience can lead to some truly beautiful moments. Instead, he climbs into her bed gently, and wraps her sleeping form in his arms like he used to. He silently chokes back tears of relief, and buries his face in her hair and neck, inhaling her familiar scent, the scarf he slept with for so long completely forgotten about. When Eurydice wakes up the next morning and becomes fully aware of his presence, she gasps loudly and embraces him hard enough to leave bruises. “It’s you!” She says, eyes spilling over with tears of joy, and he blinks an eye open in response “it’s me”. Once again, Eurydice doesn’t leave her room for a week, but this time it not out of a profound sense of loneliness and loss. From there on out, their souls are finally able to rest peacefully, just as they deserve.  
  
Hades still comes by on his own to check up on them every now and then, as he considers the couple his dearest friends (outside of his wife that is). When he sees how happy they are, it clears his conscience, and he is reminded that true love really will wait, and that he and Persephone’s six months a part are not nearly as long as what these two wayward souls were made to endure. He starts being able to sleep on his own as well, hope filling the voids caused by the doubt that has plagued him for so long. He can feel Persephone’s presence just by looking at the two lovebirds finally getting to be together again, apart for so long yet more in love than ever. He knows it is against regulation, but he thinks he’ll let these two particular souls keep their memories for as long as they wish, the fates be damned. He appreciates the company.

**Author's Note:**

> A muse must've sneezed on me or something, because this fic came from NOWHERE.
> 
> I technically wrote most of this on my phone before transferring it over to a computer, so I did my best to get the tenses to match all the way through. Apologies for any errors, I read/edited twice, but didn't enlist any outside help.


End file.
